Program Area: Health Sciences
Hanzhang Xu, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Family Medicine and Community Health
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina, United States
Bei Wu, PhD (she/her/hers)
Dean's Professor in Global Health
Rory Meyers College of Nursing
New York University
New York, New York, United States
Man Guo, PhD, FGSA
Associate Professor
School of Social Work
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa, United States
Hanzhang Xu, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor
Family Medicine and Community Health
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina, United States
Xiang Qi, BSN
PhD Candidate
Rory Meyers College of Nursing
New York University
New York City, New York, United States
Yaolin Pei, PhD
Research Scientist
Rory Meyers College of Nursing
New York University
New York City, New York, United States
Juan Li
Medical Postdoc
Nursing Department
Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University
Shanghai, Shanghai, China (People's Republic)
Increasing evidence suggests the important role of social connections and family support in maintaining optimal cognitive status among older adults. This symposium includes four studies from China and the U.S with a focus on generating actionable evidence to inform the development of strategies that target psychosocial resilience and family support to promote cognitive health. Using data from the 2006, 2010, and 2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, the first study assessed the impact of social isolation on cognitive function, and how sleep disturbance mediated the association on cognitive decline. The study findings suggest addressing sleep disturbance might be a viable way to mitigate the negative effect of social isolation on cognitive function. Companion piece includes another HRS-based study that assessed the impact of loneliness on psychological resilience and cognitive health in later life. Findings from this study show loneliness is indirectly associated with baseline cognitive status and accelerated cognitive decline through deteriorating phycological resources. The third study used a prospective longitudinal design and applied group-based trajectory modeling to identify distinct family functions among 170 Chinese stroke survivors. Four family function trajectories were identified; healthy and stable family function was associated with better cognition and quality of life. Lastly, the fourth study aimed to use an experienced-based co-design approach to develop a cognitive training intervention to promote cognitive health in older Chinese immigrants in the U.S. This approach allows researchers to engage end-users early and to optimize the development of a culturally and linguistically relevant cognitive training intervention.
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Hanzhang Xu, PhD, RN – Duke University
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Xiang Qi, BSN – New York University
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Yaolin Pei, PhD – New York University
Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Juan Li – Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University